Drinkhacker Reads – 01.07.2013 – Clooney Makes Tequila Even Smoother

Celebrity Product Brand Launch of the Week: This time around we get an actual A-List celebrity jumping in the ever-growing fray. The Spirits Business reports that actor George Clooney and business partner Rande Gerber are planning to launch their own tequila, Casamigos, later this January. No doubt it will be just as smooth as the characters Clooney plays on the silver screen. [Spirits Business]

The Atlantic runs a profile on craft distiller Ernest Scarano, and discusses in detail the complexities and bureaucracy of being a practicing micro-distiller. [The Atlantic]

St. George’s, the first English company to make whisky in more than a century, has broken through to the American market after years of attempts. The BBC features a video on the distillery and the struggle behind the scenes to arrive stateside. Had they put “Downton” in their name somewhere, we guess it would have cleared with no trouble at all. [BBC]

And finally today, a behind the scenes look at the making of Lambanog, the Philippine equivalent to vodka in Russia, and the great physical risks farmers sometimes go to in order to make the country’s national beverage. [GMA Net]

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